Photo from the press conference of InvestInRivne, a Rivne agency for investment promotion and investor support, on August 7, 2019 on the topic “Construction of a new wood processing factory of the international company Kronospan in Rivne region”.
Source: social networks of InvestInRivne agency.
Technopryvid Invest Group LLC (beneficial owner is Kronospan Holdings Limited based in Cyprus*), plans to build a wood processing factory in the village of Horodok, in the Rivne region, in Ukraine’s northwest. Technopryvid declared their planned enterprise safe for the health of local residents and the state of the environment.
Ecoclub compared the characteristics of the expected pollution from the planned plant operation with the safe concentrations** of pollutants and stated that the safe levels will be heavily exceeded. Technopryvid believes that such statements by Ecoclub harm the company’s business reputation and has filed a lawsuit against Ecoclub.
In more detail:
By the Resolution from February 21, 2020 the Commercial Court of Rivne Oblast accepted the statement of claim for consideration and opened proceedings in the case No. 918/132/20.
Here are the arguments of Technopryvid Invest Group LLC, set out in the letters addressed to the NGO “Ecoclub” from January 21, 2020 (photo #7) and February 10, 2020.
Among the claims, in addition to calling on Ecoclub to withdraw its publications from January 16, 2020 The concentration of formaldehyde in Horodok will be exceeded 9 times – Ecoclub and February 5, 2020 Ecoclub’s remarks on the EIA report of a wood processing factory in the village of Horodok, there is also a request of compensation of 150 000 UAH (5000 EUR approx.) for damage caused to its reputation.
Having analyzed the Report on EIA of Technopryvid Invest Group LLC of their planned project “Renovation of the industrial compound into a wood processing factory in Rivne oblast, Horodok village, Barona Shteinghelia str. 4a”, file No. 20188144297 (hereinafter – the EIA report), NGO “Ecoclub” sent the conclusions to the Rivne Oblast Department for Environmental Protection and Natural Resources in the Letter from January 15, 2020 on the inadmissibility of issuing a positive conclusion of the planned operations “Renovation of the industrial compound into a wood processing factory”.
In particular, it is evident from the Table 1.5.2.4 of the EIA report – “Comparative characteristics of actual (project) emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere by stationary sources with established regulations”, that the emissions of formaldehyde from source #16 will exceed the limit value by 50 times. It means that the emission of formaldehyde in the ambient air will exceed the volume that could dissolve safely in the atmosphere many times. More details in the Letter of the NGO “Ecoclub” from February 5, 2020.
For further information:
The instruction on the design and content of the draft regulations for maximum permissible emissions of pollutants into the atmospheric air from stationary sources, approved by the order of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety of Ukraine No. 76 dated July 18, 1996 (became invalid on June 6, 2002), contained the following determination of the Maximum permissible concentration of a pollutant in the atmospheric air (MPC), which is the maximum concentration of a pollutant in the atmospheric air attributed to a certain time, which with recurring exposure or constant exposure to humans and the environment does not have a harmful effect on them throughout life, including long-term consequences.
At present, several types of MPCs in the atmospheric air are used, in particular the Maximum permissible concentration at one time (one-time MPC) and the Maximum permissible concentration during 24 hours (daily MPC).
The Maximum permissible concentration at one time (one-time MPC) is the maximum concentration of the pollutant in the atmospheric air that does not cause reflex responses in the human body, and is defined from samples taken over a 20-30 minute time interval. The Maximum permissible concentration during 24 hours (daily MPC) is the concentration of the pollutant in the atmospheric air that does not have a direct or indirect effect on humans breathing during 24 hours.
In addition to the above-mentioned materials, the NGO “Ecoclub” published a press release on its participation in a meeting of the Temporary deputy commission of the Rivne City Council on the possible construction of a wood processing plant “Kronospan UA” in the village of Horodok, and statistics of formaldehyde concentration in Rivne and its environs, prepared on the basis of environmental surveys published on the website of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Rivne Oblast State Administration.
* According to the The Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs and Public Organizations of Ukraine (USR), the founder of the company is KRONOSPAN UKR LLC (EDRPOU code No. 32910079), the sole owner of the latter is KRONOSPAN HOLDINGS P.L.C. registered in Nicosia, Cyprus.